Karl Kullberg would guide his son down Mount Peter Ski Area in Warwick.

Kei was a natural, and soon he was chasing his older sister Brianna on the slopes. He won his first race before he was 6.

While some kids aspire to be a lawyer or a doctor, Kullberg had a different calling. He wanted to be a member of the United States ski team.

By his freshman year, Kullberg had enrolled at the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid, where they ski in the morning and hit the books in the afternoon.

Four years flew by. Competitions for NSA were running out. And then Kullberg turned in the best ski runs of his life.

Kullberg, 17, won the Junior National U-18 giant slalom title on March 8 at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. The victory brought Kullberg closer to his dream.

Starting Wednesday, Kullberg will compete at the U.S. Alpine Championship in Squaw Valley, Calif., against the likes of Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety and the rest of the national team.

"This is simply the best in the nation, most of the guys on the U.S. ski team I follow all year long," Kullberg said. "It's going to be pretty cool to be in the same race as the team."

Kullberg will compete in the giant slalom Wednesday, super giant slalom Friday and slalom Saturday. Between 80 to 85 skiers will compete.

"This will get my name out there," Kullberg said. "I'm going to be one of the youngest competing. I'm going to be starting far back in the pack — if I move up a few places that would definitely be a big achievement."

Kullberg's recent success has provided some flashbacks for his father. He's training on the same mountains in the Lake Tahoe area that Karl Kullberg did 30 years ago.

Karl passed on college for competitive downhill racing. Two knee injuries ended his career at 21.

"It's really weird, but it's brought back a lot of memories for me," said Karl, who turned 50 on the day of his son's Junior National victory. "Kei has brought it up to another level. He's definitely better than I ever was."

Competing at skiing's top level takes a lot of money and hard work.

Karl Kullberg said the cost for Kei's season, which includes tuition to NSA, is approximately $50,000. About half of the money has been donated by sponsors, including Mount Peter and Ski Barn, a chain of four stores based in New Jersey.

People Kullberg has never met have donated up to $25 through his website.

Kullberg puts everything he earns from being a caddie at Tuxedo Club and a valet job toward his dream.

"I wouldn't have been able to get here if it wasn't for them because it's financially tight," Kullberg said. "I'm just grateful for everybody who has helped out."

Skiing is a year-round sport for Kullberg. He trains in Chile for 2﻿1/2 weeks in August and has attended a camp in Colorado in the fall.

"He's worked very hard at it and it has showed," Karl Kullberg said. "He has a lot more left in the tank. He won the Junior Nationals by seven-tenths of a second. In skiing, that's quite a bit. He's peaking at the right time."

Kullberg's Junior National win opened up some college doors. He spoke with Division I Alaska Anchorage coach Sparky Anderson on Monday, and trained with Sierra Nevada's Division III team while in Lake Tahoe.

"I was their No. 1 recruit, so far," Kullberg said of Sierra Nevada. "I'm pretty stoked about that. Their coach is recruiting two other kids from Finland."

Still, education comes first, Kullberg said. He's hoping to impress a few more college coaches and maybe put the U.S. ski team on future watch this week.

"I'm definitely on a good path, " Kullberg said. "But the U.S. ski team is pretty expensive, and I can still make it through after college. Ski racers peak in their mid-20s."